Usher Talks “Twisted,” New Album

Related Tags:

Usher recently sat down with MTV to discuss the making of his single “Twisted” and his upcoming album Looking For Myself. During his MTV First appearance he filled Sway in on the entire process.

“‘Twisted’ is more of a nostalgic record. When you think about the classic R&B record we managed a way to modernize it, even though it’s relevant,” he said. “You hear records like Cee Lo, Bruno Mars and Andre 3000 and that sound is very relevant in this time. This was our way to tie it all together and give you something different that you probably wouldn’t normally get from me.”

Usher went on to explain that his time spent traveling had a big influence on the album.

“Life is about culturing yourself and not being in a box. I think music should be used as a channel to really allow people to have different experiences. This album is about bottling up those different experiences,” he said.

By observing the culture of different countries he found a way to reinterpret it into his music, adding that the album won’t fit into just one genre.

“Music is like a huge library. There are so many different types of music,” he said. “The essence of soul and emotion on top of a new beat, a new style that you may not be accustomed to together.”

He also explained that the title of his album came from a track on the record called “Looking For Myself.”

“I feel like the title depicted the journey that I went on in making all of these different sounds and creating this very relevant experience,” he said. “I just wanted to make music that I liked and that felt good.”

Usher confessed that it’s no secret that he went through some major transitions within the last three years of his life, citing that these experiences made their way into his album.

“I used the music as a diary in a way, but a creative, artistic art in motion diary,” he said. “It feels like it’s an evolved chapter.”